Oil gas process and apparatus



May 22, 1956 E. E. RICHARDSON 2,746,850

OIL GAS PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1953 4` Sheets-Sheet l 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 'z ELLO E. R|cHARDs'oN ATTYs.

May 22, 1956 E. E. RICHARDSON OIL GAS PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1953 May 22, 1956 E. E. RICHARDSON OIL GAS PROCESS AND APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed sept. 24, 1953 FIG. 3

IN V EN TOR.

ELLO E. RICHARDSON ATTYS May 22, 1956 E. E. RICHARDSON OIL GAS PROCESS AND APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 24, 1953 FIG. 4

JNVENToR. ELLO E. RICHARDSON ATI'YS Unid Stam Patent 2,746,850 on. GAS rnocnss AND APPARATUS 1311913.,RichardsongMedford Mass., assigner to The `Gas Machinery Company, Cleveland, hio, a corpuratinn of Ohio Application September 24, 1953, Serial No. 332,116

Claims. (Cl. iS-74) `may be carried out in twinregenerative sets having two heated chambers, which are alternately heated and alternately used for making oil gas. One such set is shown in the U. S. application for patent filed October 3, 1949, Serial No.- 119,364, in the 'names of Kenneth W. Stookey, Robert T. Kyle and William E. Steinwedell and now 'Patent No. 2,714,058.

ln all oil gas processes it is desired that the chambers, orshells asthey are usually called, be heated uniformly so that substantially the same temperature exists throughout any particular horizontal cross-section and so that .there is a substantially uniform temperature gradient from the top to the bottom of the shells.

The shells usually contain quantities of refractory heat storage materials such as checkerbrick or the like, and these materials, as well as the refractory lining of the shells, are heated to the desired oil treating temperature by introducing heat oil or other uid fuel into the shell, burning said fuel and passing the hot combustion products through the refractory structure. The fuel is usually sprayed into the shell in admixture with air, either centrally at the top of the shell or at the side near the top of the shell. ln either case, the ame and hot combustion gases do not pass uniformly down through the checkerbrick or other refractory material and, thus, there are variations in temperature at any particular horizontal cross-section. This, in turn, means that when make oil is introduced for conversion into oil gas, it will be subject to non-uniform pyrolytic treatment.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a process for making oil gas and apparatus for carrying out said process in which the shells, and the refractory material therein, are heated more uniformly at any particular horizontal cross-section and also are heated to a more uniform temperature gradient between the tops and bottoms of the shells than was possible heretofore.

By virtue of the present invention, it is not only possible to exercise greater control over the process but also to obtain a more uniform oil gas product.

The present invention comprises an arrangement whereby the blast air is more intimately mixed in the top of the shell with the fluid fuel by a substantially uniform helical flow of the air and combustion gases in that zone where the fuel oil is introduced. The intimate mixing assures not only a more uniform combustion of the fuel oil but also a more uniform distribution of the gases across the shell and, consequently, a more uniform distribution of the heat in the combustion zone. When the uniformly heated combustion gases pass through the of the process.

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checker-brick, they becomeunifornily heated at each succeeding horizontal cross-section. v

The fuel oil is preferably introduced downwardly in the form of a hollow cone, the oilibeing directed'onto the .stream of air which passes around the shell near' the circumference thereof in'acircular direction. As combustion takes place, the increased-volume of gas moves toward the center of the shell, thus resulting irra substantially uniform llame, having a pancake-like form, across the` shell just above lthe"ch'eckerbri'ck therein. As a result,` the top checkerbrick are subject to substantially/'uniform radiant heat from the flame, and the gases'are uniformly distributed across the top.

The present invention will' be described more fully hereinafter with particular reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a front elevation of a gas set according to the present invention;

' Figure 2 illustrates a top plan View of the set shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate diagrammatically and in perspective the flow of gases within the set during a portion Withreference to Figure l ofthe drawings, two shells 11 and 12 are provided, each having checkerbrick structures or other refractory structures therein, as is conventional in oil gas sets. The checkerbrick may extend only about halfway up the shells or may extend t-o a point a short distance below the top thereof. An air supply line 13 connects with a manifold 14 provided with side conduits 15, 16, 17 and 18 which are provided, respectively, with valves 19, 20, 21 and 22. Conduits17and 18 enter the bottoms of the shells beneath the checkerbrick therein, either in a radial direction, as shown in the drawings and particularly in Figure 2, or in a tangential direction, if desired. The upper conduits 15 and 16 enter the tops of the shells in a radial direction, as best shown in Figure 2.

A riser pipe 23 is located between the shells, extending upward to a point at least as high as the tops of the shells 11 and 12, or higher if preferred. The bottoms of the shells are connected to the bottom of the riser pipe 23 by conduits 24 and 25, provided with hot valves 26 and 27, respectively. The riser pipe, of course, is provided with a conventional stack valve 28.

The tops of the shells are connected by conduits 29 and 30, although three or more conduits may be employed if desired.

Conduit 29, as shown in Figure 2, enters the top of shell 11 tangentially and enters the top of shell 12 tangentially. Likewise, conduit 3% enters the tops of each shell tangentially. It is to be noted that when gases or uids pass through conduits 29 and 30 at the same time from shell 11 toward shell 12, the gases or fluids enter shell 12 tangentially so as to complement each other. As shown, the direction of flow within shell 12 will be counterclockwise. In a similar manner, when gases or fluids pass from shell 12 toward shell 11, the direction of flow within shell 11 will be counter-clockwise. If desired, the arrangement of conduits 29 and 30 may be such as to produce a clockwise direction of gases or fluids within the shells. It is important to note that the point where conduit 29 enters shell 11 is substantially diametrically opposed to the point where conduit 30 enters shell 11. Also, conduit 29 enters shell 12 diametrically opposite to conduit 30.

The conduits 29 and 30 have substantially the same length, size and construction so that substantially equal volumes of gas at substantially equal velocities will pass therethrough when the set is in operation. Thus, the arrangement of the two conduits ensures an evenly balanced distribution and uniform ow of the gases in the tops of the shells.

lf more than two conduits are used, they are arranged so as to provide for a balanced, uniform distribution of gases, as explained above.

In this connection it will be noted that conduits and 16 enter their respective shells at points equidistant from the points where conduits 29 and 30 are connected to the shells. if desired, conduits 15 and 16 may be arranged tangentially so that the air entering therefrom will pass in a clockwise direction.

Leading off from the riser pipe 23 is a conduit 31, leading to a conventional wash box 32, which is provided with a tar removal tank 34 and a gas outlet 33.

At the tops of the shells 11 and 12 there are provided oil spray inlets 35 and 36, respectively for introducing a hydrocarbon oil for making oil gas during the gas making portion of the cycle and for introducing a fluid fuel, such as hydrocarbon oil, tar or gas, during the blasting or heating-up portion of the cycle, as will be described more fully below. The spray inlets are two separate devices, one for the make oil and one for the fluid fuel, which, as shown in the drawings, are built into a single unit; if desired, however, two or more separated spray devices may be used. At the bottom of each shell are provided steam inlets 37 and 38, respectively.

The apparatus described above may be operated in the following manner to produce oil gas. The process includes, in general, a four-stage cycle comprising a forward heat or blast run, a forward make run, a reverse blast run and a reverse make run, the iirst two stages being illustrated diagrammatically in Figures 3 and 4.

The forward blast run succeeds the reverse make run and is carried out, as shown in Figure 3, by introducing air through conduit 17 to the bottom of shell 11 and passing it upwardly therethrough. During passage upwardly through the checkerbrick structure in shell 11, the air is preheated by the hot checkerbrick and burns off any carbon that may have been deposited therein during the preceding reverse make run. Additional air is introduced through conduit 15 to the top of shell 11 and is preheated by admixture with the air introduced through conduit 17. The combined air and combustion gases then pass in two streams through conduits 29 and 30 to the top of shell 12. As described hereinbefore, the air and gases enter the top of shell 12 tangentially at diametrically opposed points and ow in a helical or spiral path. A uid fuel, such as a hydrocarbon oil, tar or gas, is introduced through spray means 36, preferably in the form of a hollow cone so that the fuel will be directed into and onto the air flowing in the shell. Cornbustion of the fuel takes place, and the hot combustion products pass downwardly through the checkerbrick in shell 12 supplying heat thereto.

The combustion gases then pass through conduit 25 to riser pipe 23 and are vented through stack valve 28. When the desired temperature, of the order of from about l500 F. to l800 F. or higher, has been attained in the top of shell 12, the air and fuel are cut olf and the set is ready for the forward gas make run.

At this stage of the cycle, a short steam purge is usually carried out by introducing steam into the bottom of shell 11 at 37, so as to clear the set of products of combustion.

In the forward gas make run, as illustrated in Figure 4, make oil is introduced through both spray means 35 and 36. The relative quantities of oil introduced through the two spray means may be varied within wide limitsfor example, by introducing a greater amount of make oil into the shell which has just been heated than is introduced into the other shell, or vice-versa.

All of the outlets at the bottom of shell 11 are closed off by the various valves, so that the oil sprayed into shell 11 will be partially vapor-ized and partially converted to oil gas by the residual heat in the top of the shell. The gases and uids then ow out in two streams through conduits 29 and 30. If desired, steam may be introduced through inlet 37 so as to prevent any substantial 'downward flow of oil vapors and/or oil gas through shell 11, the steam rising through the shell and passing in admixture with said vapors and gas through the conduits 29 and 30 into shell 12. The gases and vapors, with or without steam, enter shell 12 tangentially and flow downwardly from the top of shell 12. The make oil that is introduced into the top of shell 12 is preferably in the form of a solid cone so as to be spread subsequentially evenly over the entire cross-section of the shell.

The mixed gases pass downwardly through the heated checkerbrick in shell 12 where they are pyrolyzed and fixed into oil gas which then passes through conduit 25 to the bottom of riser pipe 23. Since the stack valve 28 is now closed, the oil gases pass out of the riser pipe 23 through conduit 31 and down into wash box 32, as shown in Figures l and 2, which functions as a water seal and also accomplishes the partial removal of tar and condensibles. The gases leave the wash box 32 via conduit 33 and are passed to storage or to a distribution system.

At the conclusion of the forward make run, when the temperature of shell 12 has decreased to a degree at which the production of oil gas is no longer efficient, a reverse blast run, preceded by a short steam purge, is carried out in the manner shown in Figure 3, except that the entire procedure is reversed-the steam entering shell 12 through conduit 38 and the air entering shell 12 via conduit 18 and passing upwardly therethrough. The air, during its travel, burns any carbon which may have been deposited in said vshell during the preceding make run. The preheated air, together with secondary air introduced through conduit 16 into the top of shell 12, then passes in two streams through conduits 29 and 30 to the top of shell 11, where the streams enter tangentially. Fluid fuel is introduced through spray means 35 and is burned therein, the combustion products'flowing downwardly through shell 11, supplying heat to the checkerbrick therein. The gases then pass through conduit 24 to riser pipe 23 and are then vented through stack valve 28.

When the temperature of shell 11 has been raised to the desired degree, the reverse blast is stopped, and, if desired, a short steam purge is carried out by introducing steam through line 38.

A reverse make run is now carried out in the manner shown in Figure 4, except that the procedure is reversed` Steam may, if desired, be introduced at 38; the make oil introduced at 36 is partially vaporized and gasied in shell 12 and then leaves said shell together with the steam, in two streams via conduits 29 and 30 where they are introduced tangentially into the top of shell 11 and where additional make oil is introduced through spray means 35. The combined oil gases pass downwardly through the heated checkerbrick of shell 11, thence, via conduit 24, riser pipe 23, conduit 31, wash box 32 and outlet 33, to storage.

The tangential introduction of the two streams of air into the top of shell 12 during the forward blast run and into the top of shell 11 during the reverse blast run produces a far more uniform heating of the respective shells than had been possible in previously known apparatus. With radial introduction, it was impossible to prevent a large proportion of the air and combustion products from taking a fixed course through one section of the shell, while a much smaller proportion would pass through a different section of the shell, thus producing an uneven heating of the checkerbrick. Such would also be the case if only one tangential inlet for the air were provided. Thus it will be seen that when the shell is heated unevenly, one portion becomes far hotter than other adjacent portions. This, in turn, leads to uneven pyrolytic treatment of the make oil during the make runs and results 'm a non-uniform gas product composed of gases'which have been overtreated, over-cracked or under-cracked. However, when the air is introduced tangentially in two or more uniform streams at uniformly spaced points around the top of the shell, a far more uniform tiow throughout the entire shell is obtained by which the shell is uniformly heated and then results in uniform pyrolytic treatment of the make oil.

The uniformity of the oil gas product obtained by the present invention is a result not only of the uniform heating of the shells, as noted above, but the uniformity of the product is also improved by the introduction of the steam, oil vapors and oil gas tangentially and uniformly into the shell as received from the other shell to form a homogeneous and uniform mixture with the fresh make oil, which uniform mixture passes uniformly downwardly through the checkerbrick as during the preceding blast run.

Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to the drawings, it will be understood that various alterations and modifications are to be included herein. For example, the present description refers to two shells, each functioning as a gas generator in the top section and as a superheater or fixing zone in the lower section, but one might use a four shell set connected in series wherein two of the shells function as gas generators and the other two shells function as superheaters.

The scope of the present invention is limited only by the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

l. Apparatus for producing oil gas by a cyclic process which includes a forward heat nin, a forward make run, a reverse heat run and a reverse make run, said apparatus comprising a pair of refractory lined shells, checkerbrick structures within said shells, valved air inlet means at the top and bottom of each of said shells, a riser pipe, valved connections between the bottom of each shell and the bottom of the riser pipe, make oil spray means at the top of each shell, heat oil spray means at the top of each shell, a plurality of conduits extending and affording communication between the tops of said shells, the ends of the conduits being disposed substantially tangentially with respect to the shell to which said ends are connected, the connections at the top of each shell being tangentially arranged so as to produce ow in the same circular direction within said shell.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are two conduits extending between the tops of the shells, said conduits where connected to each shell being substantially diametrically opposed to each other.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the valved air inlet means at the tops of the shells are disposed radially of each of said shells and equidistant from the points where said tangentially arranged conduits are connected to each of said shells.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heat oil spray means provide downward hollow conical sprays directed toward the circumference of each of said shells.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising valved steam inlet means at the bottom of each shell.

6. A method of producing oil gas in a set provided with a pair of shells, A and B, each containing checkerbrick therein, said process comprising heating shell A, passing air upwardly through shell B, withdrawing said air in a plurality of streams from the top of shell B, introducing said streams of air substantially tangentially into the top of shell A to produce helical flow in the top thereof, simultaneously introducing heat oil into the top of shell A, passing the combustion products of air and heat oil down through shell A, and venting said gases, introducing make oil into the tops of shells A and B, withdrawing oil vapors and oil gas produced in shell B in afplurality of streams from the top of shell B and introducing said streams of oil vapors and oil gas substantially tangentially into the top of shell A to produce helical flow in the top thereof where said oil vapors and oil gas are admixed with the make oil, vapors and gases obtained from the make oil introduced into the top of shell A, passing said mixture of oil gases downwardly through shell A and withdrawing said oil gases from the bottom of shell A, passing said gases to storage, heating shell B by carrying out the first mentioned heat run in the reverse direction, then making oil gas by carrying out said make gas run in the reverse direction and then repeating the entire cycle of steps.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein two streams of air are withdrawn from shell B and are introduced tangentially into the top of shell A at diametrically opposed points thereof.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 and further comv prising introducing additional air into the top of shell A during the introduction of said two streams of air from shell B, said additional air being introduced at a point equidistant from the points of tangential inlet of said two streams of air.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising introducing additional air into the top of shell B during the tangential introduction of said two streams of air into shell A from shell B, said additional air being introduced at a point equidistant from the two outlets from shell B for said two streams of air.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6 and further comprising introducing steam into the bottom of shell B while introducing make oil into the top of shell B and passing said steam upwardly therethrough thus causing said make oil vapors and oil gas generated in shell B to be withdrawn from the top thereof in a plurality of streams.

References Cited in the le of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,118,865 Johnston Nov. 24, 1914 1,978,702 Duncan Oct. 30, 1934 2,162,433 Hilhouse June 13, 1939 2,605,176 Pearson July 29, 1952 

1. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING OIL GAS BY A CYCLIC PROCESS WHICH INCLUDES A FORWARD HEAT RUN, A FORWARD MAKE RUN, A REVERSE HEAT RUN AND A REVERSE MAKE RUN, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF REFRACTORY LINED SHEELS, CHECKERBRICK STRUCTURES WITHIN SAID SHELLS, VALVED AIR INLET MEANS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF EACH OF SAID SHELLS, A RISER PIPE, VALVED CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF EACH SHELL AND THE BOTTOM OF THE RISER PIPE, MAKE OIL SPRAY MEANS AT THE TOP OF EACH SHELL, HEAT OIL SPRAY MEANS AT THE TOP OF 